Kayleigh Hughes

Kayleigh Hughes joined SPI in 2019, and as a Consultant works across all of our services, providing detailed and comprehensive research and data analysis. Ms Hughes has particular expertise in organising and managing large or complex studies

Ms Hughes has worked for a range of SPI’s international clients, such as the Australia and New Zealand Screen Association (ANZSA), Ausfilm, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition (GSEC), the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and the British Film Institute (BFI).

Ms Hughes’s current projects include a Production and Infrastructure Capacity Audit (PICA) for the Mid-West region of Ireland, a monthly intelligence briefing for a global studio and in-depth sector and data mapping for a Middle Eastern client. She recently led SPI’s update to the Best Practice in Screen Sector Development report, produced in collaboration with AFCI. The key findings from the report were presented as part of the Global Film Commission Network Summit at Marché du Film – Festival De Cannes. The full report was published in September, with the key findings summary report available in 11 languages.

Her past projects include economic impact studies in Poland, Australia, the UK, and the US state of Georgia, as well as a study examining the impact Of Film and Television Production on Economic Recovery From COVID-19.  Ms Hughes also led a cultural impact study on Ireland’s Section 481 Tax Incentive, the first report of its kind. She also managed several workforce studies, including a PICA for Ausfilm in Australia, and a study to pilot a workforce mapping and skills forecast methodology in the UK.

Prior to SPI, Ms Hughes worked in academia in Australia and the UK. As an academic, Kayleigh lectured at several leading Queensland universities, including the Queensland University of Technology and Griffith Film School, as well as Ravensbourne University in London, on subjects relating to international screen studies, screen business practices and the global creative industries.

Ms Hughes holds a PhD in Screen Studies from the Queensland University of Technology.